England are in a spin in more ways than one as they head into the second Test against Pakistan at Old Trafford on Friday looking to level the four-match series at 1-1.
Alastair Cook’s men suffered a 75-run defeat inside four days in last week’s first Test at lord’s, with Pakistan leg-spinner Yasir Shah taking 10 wickets.
Now England will hope to play Shah better at Old Trafford, where the pitch is likely to offer more turn.
They also have to decide whether to give a home debut to leg-spinner Adil Rashid, either in support of, or as a replacement for, Moeen Ali.
Not only was off-spinner Ali, who has spent the bulk of his career as a top-order batsman, out-bowled by Shah at lord’s, he also fell to him in the second innings when recklessly charging down the pitch.
England have now called in former Pakistan off-spinner Saqlain Mushtaq as a coaching consultant at Old Trafford.
England have been without a specialist spin coach since former Pakistan leg-spinner Mushtaq Ahmed, now in the tourists’ camp, returned home in 2014.
Having picked a 14-man squad, England could field two spinners especially as both all-time leading wicket-taker James Anderson (shoulder) and all-rounder Ben Stokes (knee) have been passed fit after they each missed the first Test.
Anderson is due to return on his lancashire home ground amid suggestions that Cook and coach Trevor Bayliss were happy to accept his assurances that he was fit for lord’s, only for the pair to be over-ruled by the selectors.
Meanwhile Stokes was looking forward to working with Saqlain, who took four for 74 when Pakistan beat England by 108 runs in the second Test at Old Trafford in 2001.
Stokes hinted at a more refined approach by saying: “Old Trafford is known to spin, and obviously that’s going to favour (Shah).
As England, who also have question marks over top order batsman James Vince, ponder their options, it looks as if Pakistan will field the same side, although openers Mohammad Hafeez and Shan Masood may be looking over their shoulders after poor returns at lord’s.
Having come through all the hype surrounding Mohammad Amir’s return to Test cricket for the first time since his 2010 spot-fixing crime at lord’s, they gave fans at the ‘home of cricket’ much else to talk about last week.
England axe Finn, ball
England captain Alastair Cook announced on Thursday that the hosts had reduced their squad for the second Test against Pakistan from 14 to 12 after dropping Steven Finn and Jake Ball.
Revised England squad
Alastair Cook (capt), Alex Hales, Joe Root, James Vince, Gary Ballance, Jonny Bairstow (wkt), Ben Stokes, Moeen Ali, Chris Woakes, Adil Rashid, Stuart Broad, James Anderson.